Stephan Leafriver
Actor | Director | Writer
Stephan Richard Lofstrom was born in Red Deer, Alberta (Treaty 7), and was raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Treaty 6). Stephan’s early life began with a healthy love of music, the arts and storytelling. After many years of proclaiming that he would one day “draw for Disney", he looked next to music to satisfy the need for creative expression. His adolescent years were occupied by musical education; saxophone, guitar and singing were at the forefront. The culmination of this training and dedication to craft amounted to several years of successful musical theatre roles, and even a brief stint in the Saskatoon Opera.
Shortly after high school, Stephan moved to Vancouver to pursue TV & Film Acting via the Vancouver Film School. He is best known for his shared web series production of "Ariel Erisian (2012)". Additionally Stephan has worked as a Stand-In/photo double, Script Writer, 3D Camera Witness and Composer of original music for video games, film, tv, & web series. He is currently focusing his film skills into writing, producing and directing with an emphasis on contributing to Indigenous narratives.
Other projects worthy of mention include Stephan's character and musical narrative ‘phenstrom’, an ever expanding Indigenous nomadic saga. Notably, Stephan was featured in a 2014 Redefine Magazine article titled “The Radical Capacity of Glitch Art: Expression through an Aesthetic Rooted in Error“ as 1 of 6 international artists paving new roads for ‘Glitch Art’. In his continued efforts through Glitch Art, his family art collective “LeafriverZ '' was featured as a Video Artist during 2022’s “Glitch Art is Dead'' exhibition in Granite Falls, Minnesota. Most recently ‘LeafriverZ' was featured in Vancouver’s 2023 “Music Video Waste” Festival.
Stephan has recently embarked on the large undertaking and personal journey of reconnection to his nêhiyaw heritage through the Ahtahkakoop Cree FIrst Nation, his family's band. In doing so they have rediscovered the rich and vibrant traditions of Indigenous storytelling and language preservation. They also have found an undiscovered path of identity as 2-Spirit. This unique perspective coupled with extensive training in visual art and narratives continues to inform their work as a filmmaker, storyteller and artist.
